Four Years Later
by Merrie Khriste Masse
Summary: Four years after the events of The Untold Memoir, Tony reminisces about his own father before finding out that Ash has gone missing.


"Tony, have you seen Ash?" Delia asked as she came in from the garden.

"Not since he offered to help you out there." Tony said as he looked up from the photo album propped up on his lap. The look on Delia's face concerned Tony. As he put down the album and stood up, Tony attempted to calm his wife. "Don't worry. He can't have gone very far. After all, he's only four."

"That may be enough for you, but I'm his mother. Worrying is a mother's prerogative."

"Fair enough. Let's search the place over from top to bottom. Meganium, Seaking and Charizard can search for him outside, and if you think it'll help any, call Professor Oak to see if he'll keep an eye out for Ash."

Several yards within the edge of the forest lining the eastern border of the Ketchum residence, Ash was getting himself hopelessly lost. He wasn't aware of that fact though. Ash was simply having too much fun chasing the occasional Butterfree that happened to have crossed paths with him.

An upturned tree root went unseen by Ash and before he knew it, Ash tripped over the root causing him to sprain his left ankle and skin his knees. The shock of the pain and realizing that he was clueless to his whereabouts scared Ash as he began to cry.

* * *

><p>"Any luck, Professor?" Delia asked Professor Oak via the video phone.<p>

"Unfortunately, no. Nevertheless, don't give up hope, Delia. Ash is bound to turn up sooner or later." was the professor's response.

"Later is just too late. In fact, I fear that now might be too late!" Concern and worry not only made itself known in her voice, but on Delia's face as well.

_'It has been over an hour since Ash went missing. Dear Lord, we need a miracle!'_ Tony mentally prayed where he stood beside Delia.

* * *

><p>Ash's crying had subsided to a whimper as he had wore himself out. Propping himself against the closest thing - which happened to have been the offending tree root, Ash was nearly sound asleep when a rustling sound had him looking around nervously.<p>

"Mom? Dad?" Ash called out.

"No, I'm not them." a gruff voice said gently. "But I am here to help."

A man that made Ash think he was seeing an older, slightly different version of Tony came through an opening between some bushes and knelt before Ash.

"Ouch." The older man cringed at the sight of Ash's sprained ankle. "Hey, you'll be better in no time. Look, I brought a friend of yours."

At that moment, Meganium's head popped through a bush.

"Meg-meganium!" the plant Pokemon exclaimed at the sight of its trainer's son. Padding its way over to Ash's side, Meganium knelt next to the child as the older man helped him onto Meganium's back.

"Don't leave." Ash pleaded as he saw the man turn to go.

"My dear boy. I've been with you since the day you were born." the man said kindly with a slight chuckle. "I'm not about to leave you now. Let's get going, your parents are worried about you."

"Okay!" Ash said as he wiped away a few stray tears on the back of his shirtsleeve.

Several minutes later, Ash, Meganium and the older man reached the forest's edge. Upon stepping out into the light of the setting sun, Meganium blinked a few times before dashing towards the Ketchum residence.

"Meganium! Ium, mega-meg!" the plant Pokemon called out, alerting Tony and Delia that it was back and had Ash with it.

"Ash!" both of his parents exclaimed as they burst out of the homestead and greeted their son with worry sprawled across their faces.

"Where have you been, young man? You had your father and I worried sick!" Delia chastised Ash as she lifted him off Meganium's back.

A whimper was his only response do to his injured leg being jostled.

"Let's get him to a hospital and get a doctor to check him over first. Then we can give him the once over later." Tony suggested to Delia before looking over at Meganium. "Good work, Meganium. Now, can I get you to let Charizard and Seaking know that the search is over?"

"Meg!" Meganium said with a nod before running off to deliver the message.

After the trip to the hospital, Ash was tucked into bed and attempted to ask about the man who had found him in the first place but only received frustrating results.

"There wasn't anyone with you except Meganium." Delia replied with a concerned look on her face.

"Yes, there was!" Ash argued. "He looked like Dad, but different."

"Like me?" Tony was mildly shocked.

"Yeah." Ash said with a nod.

"Hold on..." Tony muttered as he went out of Ash's bedroom and into the living room where he picked up the previously abandoned photo album. Upon bringing the album into Ash's room, Tony flipped it open to one of the first few pages. "Did he look anything like this?"

Ash looked at the photo that his father had pointed out.

"That's him!" Ash exclaimed.

"That's impossible!" Delia uttered. "That's your grandfather, Ash. He died the day you were born."

A knock on the door prevented further comments on the subject. Delia went to answer.

"Well, if it isn't May and Gary. What a pleasant surprise to see you two." Delia said happily.

"Hi, Mrs. Ketchum." May replied. "We heard Ash was hurt so we thought we'd come over to cheer him up!"

"He's in his room, dear. I'm sure he won't mind seeing you."

"Sounds like you have company. We can talk about this later." Tony said as he closed the photo album and headed out of Ash's room moments after May who was holding a Pikachu doll and Gary entered.

"Maybe it isn't impossible..." Tony said quietly while holding back a strong urge to break down as he plopped onto the couch and looked at Delia.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Delia offered as she sat down next to Tony who had the photo album open once again to the pictures of his father.

"I think that Ash seeing Dad was an answer to a prayer. We needed a miracle and perhaps... just maybe, Dad is now Ash's guardian angel."


End file.
